QUETTA: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Friday accused India of attempting to destabilise Pakistan’s Balochistan province through proxy terrorist operations, asserting that such efforts would ultimately fail due to the resilience and unity of the Pakistani nation.
Speaking to the media in Quetta after visiting the injured children of Monday’s school bus bombing in Khuzdar and meeting with their families, the minister condemned the attack as “cowardly” and “an act of desperation” by India following what he described as its “humiliating defeat” in recent cross-border military clashes.
“The children of this nation have made the ultimate sacrifice,” Tarar said. “Yet their courage and spirit remain unshaken. This is the strength of Pakistan.”
The Khuzdar bombing, which targeted a school bus transporting children to the Army Public School, killed at least six people and injured over 50—most of them children. Among the victims was the family of Subedar Saleem, who buried two daughters and whose son remains critically injured. “Despite this unbearable loss, he stood beside the ambulance chanting patriotic slogans,” Tarar noted.
The minister claimed the attack was orchestrated by Indian intelligence in retaliation for India’s military setback in “Operation Bunyanun Marsus.” He also cited the 2016 arrest of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav and confessions from detained militants Gulzar Imam Shambe and Sarfaraz Bangulzai as evidence of India’s long-standing support for separatist violence in Balochistan.
“In just the recent Operation Marqa-e-Haq, 33 terrorist attacks were attempted in Balochistan. All were foiled by our security agencies,” he said, praising the vigilance and coordination of Pakistan’s law enforcement and military.
Tarar declared that both Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir were “fully committed” to eradicating terrorism and restoring lasting peace in the region. He said the ISPR had already presented evidence of Indian involvement to the international community and vowed that Pakistan would expose Indian terrorism on every diplomatic forum.
“All political parties and state institutions are united on this front. There will be no compromise on national security,” he said, while also promising stricter legislation to ensure speedy and decisive punishment for terrorism-related crimes.
Tarar also criticised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, referring to him as the “butcher of Gujarat,” and said the recent military conflict had left the Modi government politically weakened at home. “While Pakistan celebrated victory on May 10, Indian political parties and civil society were questioning the Modi regime’s failures,” he added.
Responding to questions, the information minister said that global awareness of the Kashmir issue had also increased in the wake of the latest escalation, calling it a “diplomatic victory” for Pakistan.
At the end of his visit, Tarar met the families of the victims, calling the children “the pride of the nation” and pledging that their sacrifices would never be forgotten.
